He has often shed weight for films, whittling himself down to one third of his body weight in one instance. But Bale's latest role has him going to the other weight extreme.

Here's what the 39-year-old looks like normally, at "The Dark Knight Rises" premiere with his wife, Sibi, in July 2012:

Ian Gavan/Getty

For his role as an industrial worker who hasn't slept in a year in 2004's "The Machinist," Bale lost 63 pounds by living on a diet of apples, coffee and cigarettes:

"The Machinist"/Paramount Classics

For 2010's "The Fighter," Bale again lost weight to play a boxer-turned-drug addict. He won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role portraying Dicky Eklund:

"The Fighter"

For his latest role as a '70s con man-turned-FBI agent in "American Hustle," Bale went to the other weight extreme and packed on 43 pounds.

"I ate lots of doughnuts, a whole lot of cheeseburgers and whatever I could get my hands on. I literally ate anything that came my way," Bale revealed to People magazine. "I was about 185 and went up to 228."

Here's Bale with his clothes on in "American Hustle":

Francois Duhamel / Sony Pictures

But underneath that checkered suit was Bale's newfound belly:

Sony/"American Hustle"

Let's zoom in on that, shall we?

Sony/"American Hustle"

But Bale's 8-year-old daughter approved of his new look: "She found it funny. Having a big old gut and a bald head, she would slap it and tease me. She had lots of fun and found it amusing."

Bale, meanwhile, has struggled to take off the weight since filming ended, telling People "I'm still working it off."

Bale displayed his latest look at a screening in NYC earlier this month: